Culpable delay in construction contracts
Construction contracts generally allow the construction period to be extended where there is a delay that is not the contractor's fault. This is described as an extension of time (EOT). The contractor may (but is not necessarily) also be entitled to claim for loss and expense associated with the delay.
Culpable delay (sometimes referred to as 'contractor delay') on the other hand is a delay that is entirely the fault of the contractor. Where the contractor is culpable for a delay, they have no entitlement to an extension of time or loss and expense.
Where there is a culpable delay, the period of time after the contractual date for completion has passed is referred to as the period of contractor culpable delay, and during this period, the contractor will be liable to pay liquidated and ascertained damages (LAD's) to the client.
Concurrent delay refers to the complex situation where more than one event occurs at the same time, but where not all of those events enable the contractor to claim an extension of time. For more information, see Concurrent delay.
In Carillion Construction Ltd. v Woods Bagot Europe Ltd. and others [2016], the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) held that a subcontractor who had caused a delay, was also entitled to an extension of time and that this should run contiguously from the contractual completion date. This meant that the subcontractor’s period of culpable delay was extinguished, and they were no longer liable for their own delay.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Plumbing and heating for sustainability in new properties
Technical Engineer runs through changes in regulations, innovations in materials, and product systems.
Awareness of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
What CBAM is and what to do about it.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.
The Sustainability Pathfinder© Handbook
Built environment agency launches free Pathfinder© tool to help businesses progress sustainability strategies.
Government outcome to the late payment consultation, ECA reacts.
IHBC 2025 Gus Astley Student Award winners
Work on the role of hewing in UK historic conservation a win for Jack Parker of Oxford Brookes University.
Future Homes Building Standards and plug-in solar
Parts F and L amendments, the availability of solar panels and industry responses.
How later living housing can help solve the housing crisis
Unlocking homes, unlocking lives.
Preparing safety case reports for HRBs under the BSA
A new practical guide to preparing structural inputs for safety cases and safety case reports published by IStructE.
Male construction workers and prostate cancer
CIOB and Prostate Cancer UK encourage awareness of prostate cancer risks, and what to do about it.
The changed R&D tax landscape for Architects
Specialist gives a recap on tax changes for Research and Development, via the ACA newsletter.
Structured product data as a competitive advantage
NBS explain why accessible product data that works across digital systems is key.
Welsh retrofit workforce assessment
Welsh Government report confirms Wales faces major electrical skills shortage, warns ECA.
A now architectural practice looks back at its concept project for a sustainable oceanic settlement 25 years on.
Copyright and Artificial Intelligence
Government report and back track on copyright opt out for AI training but no clear preferred alternative as yet.